Briquetting press



Sept. 4, 1945. 'P. E. FLowERs 2,334,163

" BRIQUETTING PRESS l Filed Feb. zas, 1942` v 4 sheets-sheet 1 Sept. 4,1945. PQE; FLOWERS 2,384,163 BRIQQETTING PRESSA I Filed Feb. 2s, 1942 y4 s neexs-sneet 3.

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4' :EJE-15 Sept 451945 P. EQFLowERs Y 2,384,163

BRIQUETTING PRESS Filed Feb. 23, l1942 4 sheets-sheet 44 nml. E. FLOWERSPatented Sept. 4, 1945 BRIQUETTING PRESS Paul E. Flowers, ShakerHeights, Ohio, assignor to The Hydraulic Development Corporation, Ine.,Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application February 23,1942, Serial No. 432,027

11 Claims.

This invention relates to presses and, in particular, to briquettingpresses.

Brlquetting presses as heretofore known are relatively complicated instructure and, therefore, entail relatively high'cost of production andassembly. In particular, these known presses require special measuringmeans, separate ejector means, and separate motor means for actuatingsaid ejector means and said measuring means, and special timing meansfor assuring the proper sequence of the operation of said various means.

It is, therefore, an obiect of this invention to provide an improvedbriquetting press which will be materially simplified over presses ofthis type as heretofore known and which will be simple in construction,assembly and operation.

It is another object of this invention to pro' vide a briquetting presscomprising a press plunger which will serve the dual purpose ofcompressing and meting out the quantity of material t be compressedduring a pressing stroke.

It is still another object to provide a briquetting press in which themeting out of material tion of said pressing stroke.

A still further object of the invention consists in the provision of apress as set forth in the preceding paragraph, in which the movement ofthe press plunger times the operation of the ejector means for thecompressed material.

It is another object to provide a briquetting press which comprises acharging box adapted to be reciprocated for facilitating the ejection ofthe compressed material.

Still another object of the invention consists in4 the provision of abriquetting press in which gravity may be taken advantage of for feedingthe material to be compressed and for facilitating the ejection of thecompressed material.

These and other objects and advantages of I the invention will appearmore clearly from the following specication in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a top View of the press according to the invention.

Figures 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 show sections through the press and illustratevarious phases of a working cycle.

Figure 7 is an enlarged section along the line 1-1 of Figure 5.

Figure 8 diagrammatically illustrates the hydraulic circuit of the pressshown in Figures 1 to '7.

General arrangement The briquetting press according to the inventionsubstantially comprises a charging box which receives the material to becompressed and has two openings adapted to be closed by a press plungerand an ejector operatively connected with said press plunger.

'I'he press plunger is adapted 'to enter the charging box and, incooperation with said ejector, to feed the material between said plungerand said elector into a forming cylinder, in which said material iscompressed as soon as the ejector reaches 4the end of its stroke, whilethe press plunger continues its movement toward said ejector.

At the end of the pressing stroke, the movement of the press plunger isreversed, so that the latter moves away from the elector and, afterhaving reached. a predetermined spaced position relative to saidejector, picks up the latter and causes it to eject the compressedmaterial.

To facilitate the ejection of the compressed material, the charging boxis moved away from the forming cylinder when the press plunger is on itsretraction stroke.

Structural arrangement Referring nowto the drawings in detail. thebriquetting press shown therein comprises substantially a main cylinderI0 having reciprocably mounted therein a ram Ii with a main area i2 anda booster cylinder i3. Mounted in the booster cylinder i3 is a piston I4with a piston rod i 5 threadedly connected to a sleeve i! which,

` in its turn, is rigidly connected to the main cylinder I0.

The rod I5 has a longitudinal bore i1 therethrough adapted to eilectfluidv communication between the port i8 at one end of the main cylinderI0 and the bottom end of rthe booster cylinder i3.

Connected to the ram ii in any convenient manner, for instance by meansof a split ring i9 and screws 2U, is a platen 2| carrying a pressplunger 22. The platen 2i is slidable on and guided by strain rods 23interconnecting the main cylinder i0 and the base member 24. The basemember 24 comprises a forming cylinder 25 having s' its right endannular grooves 26 connecting an outlet passage 21 and an inlet passage28, which latter is adapted to admit `compressed air for cleaning theforming cylinder 25 of undesired particles of the material previouslycompressed which remained in the cylinder.

'Ihe inlet passage 28 is connected through a conduit 29 with a two-wayvalve 30 having a valve member 3| adapted to be actuated so as -toestablish fluid communication between the conduits 28 and 32 when thelbell crank lever 33 is shifted in clockwise direction. The conduit 321s connected with a container 34 comprising compressed air.

The forming cylinder 25 is provided with a lining 35 and a hardened end38. Reciprocably mounted in the forming cylinder 25 is a piston 31connected rto a piston rod 38 which passes through a bore 39 in the basemember 24 and has adjustably connected thereto a collar 40. The collar`4!! is adapted to engage a yoke 4| which is connected by'means ofconnecting rods 42 with the platen 2| so that the yoke 4| moves inunison with the platen 2|.

The yoke 4| ca'rries an arm 43 which moves the bell 'crank lever 33 inanti-clockwise direction when the yoke 4| moves toward the right,whereas the arm 43 moves the =be1l crank lever 33 in clockwise directionso as to establish fluid communication between the conduits 29 and 32when the yoke 4| moves toward the left. The piston rod v38 extendsthrough the yoke 4| and carries an adjustable collar 44 adjacent itsouter end.

The collar 44 engages one end of a spring 45, the

other end of which abuts the yoke Sii. The spring 45 continuouslyurgesthe yoke 4| into engagement with the collar 40.

Tho base member 24 supports a hopper 46 adapted to receive material tobe briquetted and to feed this material into a charging box di which isreclprocable and guided by the strain rods' 23 by means of guiding arms48. The chargingy box 41 has in one side wall thereof adjacent itsbottom 48 a bore 5|)V into which extends the press plunger 22 so thatthe latter closes the said bore. The opposite Wall of the charging box41 is also provided with a Lbore oi' the same dioperation with thestationary cam 65 so that 'ameter as the bore 58, so that the pressplunger 22 may also pass through the Ibore 5|. When the pressr plunger22 is retracted from the bore 5|, the latter may be closed by the piston31. To prevent material to be briquetted from undesirably entering theinterior of the machine, the hopper 45 is provided with an apron 52,while the charging box 41 is provided with an apron 53.

Connected with the charging box 41 is a plurality of cylinder pistonassemblies, generally designated 54 (only one shown in the drawings).The .cylinder piston assembly 54 comprises a cylinder 55 connected tothe main cylinder lil and having reciprocably mounted therein a piston58 which, in its turn, is connectedby a piston rod 51 with the chargingbox 41.

'The cylinder 55 has connected thereto a conduit 58 leading to acontainer (not shown in the drawings) filled with compressed fluid, suchas air. The cylinder piston assembly 54 serves the purpose of returningthe charging box 41 to its position shown in Figure 2 from the positionshown in Figure 6.

The charging box 41 has connected thereto in any convenient manner, forinstance -by screws 59, an abutment 80 for cooperation with a cam 5|pivotally connected by means of pivot 62 with an arm 63 which, in itsturn, is connected to the platen 2|. The cam 8| carries a roller 54 forcowhen the roller 84 moves up Ithe cam 85. the cam 5| rotates inanti-clockwise direction and abuts the abutment 80.

'I'he hydraulic circuit for the machine shown in Figures 1 to 7 isillustrated in Figure 8, from which it will be noted that the port I8 ofthe main cylinder l0 is connected by a conduit 86 to an admission valve51 which, in its turn. is connected to one side of a reversible variabledelivery pump 58, the other side of which communicates through a conduit68 with a port 10 in the main cylinder l0. The 'port 10 communicateswith the retraction side of the ram Il. The admis sion valve 61 does notform apart of the present invention and for a more detailed descriptionthereof reference may be had to U. El.A Patent 2,086,295 to Ernst.

The admission valve 81 operates so that it normally allows fluid fromthe pump 88 to ilow through conduitSB into the port I8 and when apredetermined pressure is established in the conduit 66, the valve 31opens a connection between the conduit 66 and a conduit 1| connected tothe conduit 12, one end of which leads to the main area i2 of the ramIl, while the other end comprises a check valve 13 and leads to a fluidstorage tank 14.

The tank 14 communicates through a conduit 15 with a shuttle valve 15which may be of arly standard design and which, in its turn,communicates through conduit 11 with the conduit 88 and through conduit'Iii with the conduit 86.

Communicating with the conduit 'i2 is a conduit 18 leading to a dashpot, generally designated 80, which comprises a cylinder 8| and a.piston 82. The piton 32 has connected thereto a rod 83 which isconnected by a link 84 with a link 85 forming a part of the snap switch,gen orally designated S5.

When the snap switch 8 is in the position shown in Figure 8, thecontacts 81 and 88 engage each other. If, on the other hand, the piston'82 has moved to its uppermost position, it has actuated the switch 86so as to disengage the contacts 81 and 83. The piston 82 is urged intoits lowermost position by a spring 88.

The cylinder 8| is connected by means of conduit 88 with a choker checkvalve arrangement 8| which throttles the fluid, such as air, expelled bythe piston 82 from the cylinder 8| when the piston 82 moves upwardly,while allowing unrestricted supply of iluid into the cylinder Si whenthe piston 82 moves downwardly.

The contact 81 is connected with the main supply line 82, while thecontact 88 is connected with the main supply line 93 comprising astarter switch 84 which, when closed, establishes connection between themain supply line 83 and the solenoid 85. Energization of the solenoid I8moves the variable delivery pump 68 into full delivery forward strokeposition, while the spring 88 is adapted to move the pump 58 into fulldelivery retraction stroke position when the solenoid 8l is deenergized.To allow fluid to escape from the main area to the tank 14 during theretraction stroke of/ the ram H, the check valve 13 is bypassed by aconduit 88 comprising a pilot operated valve |88, which establishesfluid connection around the check valve 13 when a predetermined pressurein the line 58 is conveyed to the valve through the pilot line i8 I.

/ Operation vIt may be assumed that the briquetting press according tothe invention occupies the position shown in Figure 2, while theelements in the circuit occupy the position shown in Figure 8; it mayfurthermore be assumed that the hopper and charging box are iilled withmaterial to be compressed.

To start a working cycle, the operator closes the starter switch 94,thereby energizing the solenoid 95. Energization of the solenoid 95shifts the pump 88 into full delivery forward stroke position, andassuming that the pump was previously started, pressure iiuid is nowdelivered by the pump 62 through conduit 66, port I8 and bore I1 intothe booster cylinder I3. As a result thereof, the ram II moves towardthe right, thereby also moving thev platen 2| and press plunger 22toward the right. This phase is illustrated in Figure 3. During thisrightward movement, the cam 6I merely slides beneath the abutment BISbut does not aiect the operation of any parts. The suction caused by therightward movement of the ram I I in the cylinder I causes fluid to flowfrom the tank 14 through conduit 12 to the main ram area I2. Rightwardmovement of the press plunger 22 causes the latter to enter the chargingbox 41 and to move the material in front of the plunger 22 toward theright into the forming cylinder 25.

The piston 21 recedes accordingly, due to the fact that the yoke 4I isdirectly connected to the platen 2i and, thereby, to the press plunger22. so that the rightward movement ofthe press plunger 22 causes theyoke 4I to move the rod I8 through the intervention of the spring 45.'In other words, during the transfer of the material from the chargingbox 41 into the forming cylinder 25, the press plunger 22 and the piston21 remain spaced at a predetermined substantially constant distance.When, during this material transferring operation, the piston 31 hasreached its right hand end position, it comes to a halt, while theplunger 22 continues its rlghtward 'movement and now performs the actualpressing operation.

As soon as the press plunger 22 encounters a predetermined resistance,or, in other words, as soon as a predetermined fluid pressure has builtup in the booster cylinder, this pressure is conveyed through conduit 68to the admission valve l1 so as to open the latter, and iluid pressurefrom the pump 68 now passes through the conduits 1I and 12 to the mainram area I2, thereby increasing the actual forming pressure. Thepressure in line 42 closes the check valve 13, During the actualpressing operation, which is shown in Figure 4, the yoke 4I compressesthe spring 45. The pressure in conduit 12 is also conveyed throughconduit 19 to the piston 82.

When a predetermined pressure has built up in the conduit 12, the piston82, by means of the rod 23 vand links 84 and 85, shifts the snap switchIl so as to open the latter. 'I'his results in interruption of theenergizing circuit for the solenoid Il so that the spring 9C moves thepump into full delivery retraction stroke position.

Pressure fluid from the pump 88 now flows through conduit El to the portand starts to retract the ram Il, while the iiuid expelled from the mainram area I2 and from the booster cylinder I3 passes through conduits 66and 12 to the pump 68 and the tank 14 respectively.

The retraction movemf: ,t of the ram II results in a leftward movemento! the press plunger 22. However, since the yoke 4I was spaced from thecollar 40 at the end of the actual pressing stroke,

the press plunger 22 moves toward the right by a predetermined distancebefore the yoke 4I again engages the collar 40. Consequently, the pressplunger 22 recedes with regard to the piston 21 by a distance which isgreater than the lengthvof the compressed material in the formingcylinder 25 so that the compressed material can be ejected from theforming cylinder without difilculty.

When the yoke 4I, during the leftward movement of the plunger 22, againengages the collar 40, or, about this time, the cam roller 84 of the cam6I has moved up on the cam 65 so as to bring the cam 6I into engagementwith the 'abut'- ment 60. Further leitward movement of the press plunger22 and, thereby, the platen 2i, causes the cam BI topick up the chargingbox 41 'through the intervention of the abutment t0, which charging boxnow moves leitwardly in unison with the plunger 22, thereby also spacingthe charging box 41 from the adjacent end of the forming cylinder 2B. Assoon as the yoke 4I engages the collar 40, it picks up the said collarand moves the piston I1, through the-intervention of the rod 38,likewise toward the left so that the piston 31 acts 'as an ejector andejects the compressed material in front thereof. When the ejector pistonI1 approaches the end o1' its leftward movement, the compressed materialdrops by gravity into a collecting container or conveyor, not shown inthe drawings. This phase oi the operation is illustrated in' Figure 5.

When the piston 31 approaches the end ofits lei'tward stroke, the arm 43engages the bell crank lever 33 so as to cause the latter to move 'inclockwise direction and, by means of the valve member Il, to establishfluid connection between the container 34 and the conduit 2l so thatcompressed air blows through the passage 2l into the forming cylinder 25and blows undesired particles therefrom through the outlet passage 21.

The press ram II and, therefore, also the press platen 2i continue theirlettward movement aiter the compressed materiaihas been ejected from theforming cylinder 25. During this last portion ot the leftward movementof the ram II, the cam roller 04 of the cam BI .leaves the stationarycam` 6l and thereby, due to gravity, also leaves the abutment Il. As aresult thereof, the compressed air in the cylinders l5 moves the pistons5l toward the right, thereby returning the charging box 41 to Figure 4position. It will be noted that. during the leftward movement o! thecharging box` 41'no material from the hopper 4l can fall into thevmachine because, during this movement, the apron $8 forms a. bottom forthe hopper 4l.

When the press ram II has returned to Figur 2 position, the other partsof the machine have likewise reached Figure 2 positiomand apredetermined pressure builds up in conduit Il which is conveyed throughconduit l1,to a servomotor 9|, which shifts the pump tl to substantiallyneutral or no delivery position. The machine is now ready for a newcycle. f

It willbe appreciated from the foregoing description that by adjustingthe choke IIa oi' the choker check valve arrangement Il, the time ofopening the snap switch It, and, thereby, the time l for the reversal ofthe ram II may be varied. i

While the press'illustratedA in the drawings' is shown as a horizontalbriquetting press, and while such horizontal press facilitates thefeeding 0i' material to be compressed and the discharge oi' thecompressed material from the forming cylinder over vertical briquettingpresses, it is to be lunderstoodthat the main features of the presentinvention'are not limited to. horizontal briquet- I ting presses, butmay,I for instance, be used in connection with. vertically arrangedbriquetting presses.

Itshould furthermore be noted that, if desired, the cylinder 55 may bereplaced by a spring, or the movementof the charging box 41 toward theleft may-be veffected kby a spring or cylinder piston assembly insteadof by the cam arrangement li, $5 as shown,V in the drawings.Furthermore, the spring '45 may also be replaced by a fluid operablecylinder piston assembly.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within myinventionsuch modifications as come within the scope of the claimsandthe `inkvention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patentis:

1. Ina briquetting press, a',substantially hori` zontally arranged presscylinder, a substantially vertically arranged container for receivingmaterial to :be compressed in said press cylinder, and

n' a pairof pistons operable to close said container at thelower endthereof movable in one direction for transferring a portion of thematerial in said container from the latter into said press cylinder andsubsequently to cause compression of rsaid material in said cylinder,means intercon-` to receive material to be compressed, a press cylinder,a first plunger, positioned to extend into said container, a secondplunger also positioned to extend into said container, mechanical meansinterconnecting said i'lrst and second plungers,

yielding means associated with said mechanical l means for continuouslyurging said plungers into a predetermined relative position and forpermitting relative movement `between said plungers, means for movingsaid plungers in unison in one direction to cause the same to transfer apredeterminedquantity of material from said container into said cylinderand to move said first plunger while said .second plunger is stationary,means to hold said second plunger stationary while said first plungercontinues its movement in said direction toA compress said materialwithin said cylinder and between the plungers.

3. In a briquetting press, a press cylinder, Va container for receivingmaterial to be compressed, said container comprising a first opening anda second opening, said openings having the same diameter. and beingarranged in alignment with each other, a first plunger closing saidilrst opening in one of its positions, a second plunger aligned with andspaced from said first plunger and selectively closing said first andsaid second openings and passing therethrough in one of its` positions,means for positively limiting said spacing to a predetermined maximumdistance, means interconnecting said plungers so' constructed as topermit said plungers to move toward each other, means for moving saidplungers'in unison for transferring a measured quantity of materialbetween said plungers from said container into said press cylinder,means operable after said material has been transferred into saidcylinder for haltingsaid first plunger and while said second plungercontinues to move thereby to cause 'compression of the material in saidcylinder between said two plungers.l

4. In a briquetting press, a container for receivv ing material to becompressed, a press cylinder, a rst plunger, a second plunger spacedfrom said first plunger, said plungers being positioned on oppositesides of said container and positionedto extend thereinto', means forpositively limiting said spacing to a predetermined maximum amount,motor means for moving said plungers in unison. in a first direction fortransferring a predetermined quantity of material from said containerinto said press cylinder, means for arresting said second-plunger at theend of said material transferring action while continuing furthermovement of said iirst plunger in said first direction, to, cause saidfirst plungerto compress the material between said iirst and secondplungers, means associated with said motor means for retracting saidfirst plunger to restore said predetermined maximum spacing of saidfirst plunger from said second plunger, means associated with said motormeans for thereafter causing said motor means to move said plungers inunison to eject the compressed material from the press cylinder, andmeans for retaining said second plunger in said arrested position whilesaid iirst plunger is being retracted to restore said maximum spacing.

lationship of said plungers until said material has been transferredinto said cylinder, said means being constructed and arranged to permitsaid plungers to move relatively to one another thereby to compress saidmaterial therebetween,

means to cause the container to become spaced from the cylinder in asecond direction, and av fluid operable motor for reciprocating saidpair of plungers.

6. In a briquetting press, a substantially horizontal press cylinder, amovable container for receiving material to be compressed in said presscylinder, spaced plungers movable in a first direction for transferringmaterial from said container into said press cylinder and subsequentlycausing compression of said material in said cylinder, said plungersalso being movable in a second direction for ejecting the material fromsaid press cylinder, means interconnecting said plungers and operable tomaintain the same in a predetermined maximum spaced relationship duringsaid material transferring movementand for thereafter permittingrelative movement of said plungers toward one another during saidmaterial compressing movement, a double actingfluid operable plunger forreciprocating said plungers first named, means for moving said containeraway from said cylinder prior to the final ejection of the materialAfrom said cylinder, and means operable subsequently to the finalejection of said material from said cylinder for returning saidcontainer to its initial position. Y

7. A briquetting press including a charging box for receivingdisintegrated material having a cylinder as a part thereof; acompression chamber;

sessies means for reciprocating said charging box intol disintegratedmaterial into said cylinder from said charging box upon movementAthereof toward said compression chamber; means for moving said pressplunger through said charging box to' transfer the material in saidcylinder into said compression chamber to compress thevmaterial..`

means for maintaining said pressplunger and said ejector inpredetermined spacedrelationship during the feeding operation of saidcompression chamber; and means for arresting said ejector duringcompression of the material by said press' plunger.

8. A briquetting press including a charging box for receivingdisintegrated material having a cylinder as a part thereof; acompression chamber;

y means for reciprocating said charging box into and `out of connectionwith vsaid compression chamber; two openings in opposite side walls insaid charging box, Asaid openings being of equal size and in axialalignment with eachother, said cylinder, and with said compressionchamber; a press plungerI operable in said cylinder; an

ejector; said press plunger and said ejector closi ing one of said twoopenings selectively; means for moving said charging box relatively tosaid compression chamber for feeding a predetermined quantity ofdisintegrated material into said cylinder from said charging box uponmovement thereof toward said compression chamber; means for moving saidpress plunger through said charg- 9. A briquetting press including acharging box' for receiving disintegrated material having a cylinder asa part thereof; a compression chamber: means for reciprocating saidcharging box into and out of connection with said compression chamber;two openings in opposite side Walls in said charging box, said openingsbeing of equal size and in axial alignment with each other, saidcylinder, and with said compression chamber; a press plunger operable insaid cylinder; an ejector; said press plunger and said ejector closingone of said two openings selectively; means for moving said charging boxrelatively t0 said cornpression chamber for feeding a predeterminedquantity of disintegrated material into said cylinder from said chargingbox upon movement thereof toward said compression chamber; means formoving said press plunger through said charging box to transfer thematerial in said cylinder into said compression chamber to compress thematerial, means for maintaining said press plunger and said ejector inpredetermined spaced relationship during the feeding operation oi' saidcompression chamber; and means for arresting said ejector duringcompression of the material by said press plunger, and a lost motionmeans connectling said ejector with said press plunger.

v10. A briquetting press including a charging box for receivingdisintegrated material having a cylinder as a part thereof: acompression chamber; means for reciprocating said charging box 'into andout of connection with said compression chamber; two `openings inopposite side walls in said'icharging box, said openings being of equalsize' and in axial alignment with each other, said lcylinder, and withsaid compression chamber; a

press plunger operable in said cylinder; an ejector; said press plungerand said ejector closing one of said two openings selectively; means formoving said charging box relatively to said compression chamber forfeeding a predetermined quantity of disintegrated material into saidcylinder from said charging box upon movement thereof toward saidcompression chamber; means for moving rsaid press plunger throughsaidchargingbox to lmeans for maintaining said press plunger and saidejector in predetermined spaced relationship during the feedingoperation of said compression chamber; and means for arresting saidejector during compression of the material by said press plunger, a lostmotion means connecting said ejector with said press plunger, said meansfor moving the press plunger comprising a fluid operablecylinder-piston-assembly and a hydraulic motor connected therewith, forreciprocating the press plunger.

11. A briquetting press including a charging box.for receivingdisintegrated material having a cylinder as a part thereof; acompression chamber; means for reciprocating said charging box into andout of connection with said compression chamber;` two openings inopposite side walls in said charging box, saidV openings being of equalsize and in axial alignment wtih each other. said cylinder, and withsaid compression chamber; a press plunger operable in said cylinder; anejector: said ADress plunger and said ejector closing one of said twoopenings selectively; means for moving said charging box relatively tosaid compression chamber for feeding a' predetermined' quantity ofdisintegrated material into said cylinder from said charging box uponmovement thereof toward said compression chamber; means for -moving saidpress plunger through said charging box to transfer the material in saidcylinder into said compression chamber to compress the material, meansfor maintaining said press plunger 'and said ejector in predeterminedspaced relationship during the feeding Operation of said compressionchamber; and means for arresting 'said ejector during compression of thematerial by said press plunger, and means for passing compressed iluidthrough the compression chamber during the ejecting operation of theejector.

PAUL E. FLOWERS.

